To Protect The One You Love
by Hopeless Dreamer28
Summary: She had spent all afternoon holed up in her apartment wrestling with this, but in the end she knew what she had to do. So now she finds herself standing outside his door, she knows this is for the best - for the both of them - but that doesn't make this any easier.


**AN: **A Big Thank You Goes To My Beta Nik47 For Helping Me On This Oneshot. This is another scene that popped into my head late one night when I couldn't sleep, this is set at the end of season 5 and is something I hope never happens on the show but if it does I see it happening this way. And don't forget to leave me a review good or bad :)

**DISCLAIMER: I Do Not Own Castle**

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She steps off the elevator and makes her way to his door. She had spent all afternoon holed up in her apartment wrestling with this, but in the end she knew what she had to do. So now she finds herself standing outside his door, she knows this is for the best - for the both of them - but that doesn't make this any easier. She draws in a shaky breathe and knocks, and a few seconds later the door opens.

"Kate," he says, greeting her with a smile.

She forces one in return. "Hey," she responds softly.

They stand there awkwardly for a moment until finally he steps back and beckons her inside. "Well, come on in."

"Thanks," she murmurs as she ducks inside and edges past him, making her way timidly into the living room as Castle follows close behind her.

"Is everything okay?" he asks worriedly, but she doesn't say anything. "Kate?"

She stops suddenly and turns to face him, but she can't bring herself to look at him, knows that if she does she won't be able to go through with this. She hesitates for a brief moment before she quietly says, "It's over." It's all she can manage to say and at first she isn't even sure if she even said it, but when she glances up at him the look on his face confirms it.

"What?" He questions.

"This. Us. It's over."

"Kate…" he starts, stepping towards her, but she puts her arms up and backs away.

"Castle, don't." Her voice wavering as she fights back the tears, "Please don't make this any harder." She looks him in the eye now silently pleading with him.

"Kate let's just talk about this-"

"No! Castle. Until I take Bracken down everyone I…" she swallows the lump in her throat as a tear rolls down her left cheek. "Everyone I love is in danger. And if something were to happen to you…" She trails off, her breathe hitching at the thought.

"Nothing is going to happen, Kate." He assures her softly, his tone low and soothing. "I promise you everything will be okay."

"Castle, you were almost killed this morning!" she bursts out loudly, fear and frustration lacing her words. "You almost died!"

Silence falls between them now and Castle studies her carefully, noting the tightness of her shoulders, the rigid lines of her body as she stands before him. She's made up her mind, he can see that, knows all to well what it looks like. And he knows he isn't going to win this argument, knows that her stubbornness is too great for that. But dammit, he's got to at least try. Because there is no way in hell he is letting her walk away without a fight not now not after everything they've been through.

"Then let's get out of here," he suggests. "Let's get out of the city and go someplace far away, like London or maybe Paris."

She's shaking her head before he can even finish speaking. "Hiding won't work and you know it. Smith thought he could hide, but they still found him."

"But I have money," he insists, a note of desperation creeping into his voice. "I have resources-"

"Please," she pleads softly. "Please just stop, Rick." She looks at him as a steady stream of tears roll down her cheeks, and she can see her own hurt in his eyes as well, and it kills her. Before she knows it she's crossing the room, swiftly closing the gap between them as her lips find and capture his in a long, passionate kiss, pushing away everything - the fear, the despair, and her own determination to end this - for one more fierce, lingering moment. When she finally pulls away, her forehead instinctively finds his, their noses brushing. "I love you, Castle," she whispers. "I will always love you." Her lips ghost against his one last time, and then she's turning away abruptly, striding resolutely towards the door even as her heart screams out for her to stop.

"Kate!" he calls out after her, his voice shattering apart. "Kate, wait!" But she doesn't turn around, doesn't hesitate. She just leaves.


End file.
